Telecommuting: why doesn't it appeal to everyone?

Why telecommute?

‍

Benefits of working from home for employees

‍

For employees, telecommuting often means freedom and flexibility regarding time and place: 

‍

• For example, they can choose the length of their lunch break or take a walk to clear their minds: employee well-being is improved!
• They can also work in an area far from the office: beware of the time difference, if some employees carry out their professional activity abroad, think of framing the distance in the telework policy of the company. Also check the maximum number of days allowed for teleworking per year in the host country.

‍

In addition to this daily flexibility, the other advantage is the reduction of trips and time spent in transportation. The result? Less stress, a considerable saving of time, but also a saving of money!

‍

The benefits of telecommuting for businesses

‍

A modern employer brand attracts (and retains) top talent more easily. Telecommuting is an excellent solution to improve the quality of work life, as it allows employees to find a better balance between work and personal life. This way of working favors skills (soft and hard skills) rather than geographical proximity: employees are therefore appreciated for their true value. This is a source of motivation!

‍

As telecommuting allows employees to work outside the company's premises, office occupancy decreases. It is therefore an opportunity to reduce the work surface to save on real estate costs, which are important for companies.

‍

What are the risks of telecommuting?

‍

A management style unsuited to the face-to-face-telephone mix

‍

The managerial framework of a traditional company is primarily designed to manage employees in person. This is why it can be difficult toproperly manage remote teams. To remedy the problem, leadership styles need to be reviewed and adapted to the new work modes.

‍

Here are the keys to a successful operational deployment of hybrid management :

‍

• Strengthen team cohesion through corporate culture.
• Control the workload of employees.
• Manage the balance between group and individual work time.

‍

{{figure-1}}

‍

The lack of equipment in the home office environment

‍

Not all employees are equipped to work properly from home. Due to a lack of equipment, they can quickly experience burnout, which decreases productivity and motivation.

‍

76% of employees feel they have good conditions when teleworking. The remaining 24% say that their teleworking facilities are not ergonomic enough: a single screen, an uncomfortable desk chair, a desk that is too small, a workspace where it is difficult to concentrate... Moreover, at home, the quality of the network and computer security can be very different from those at the company.

‍

Lack of social interaction

‍

Teleworking does not completely cut off social interaction between colleagues, but it can reduce it considerably despite the use of communication tools. Moreover, for some employees, telecommuting creates a feeling of exclusion, even a lack of belonging to the company.

‍

Working alone at home every day can be uncomfortable and increase feelings of isolation.

‍

Towards a hybrid work model?

‍

As it consists in alternating face-to-face and remote work, the hybrid work better meets the needs of employees for flexibility and conviviality.

‍

Telecommuting is not to be banned, but to avoid lowering team satisfaction, it is better to avoid offering only this model 100%. Instead, it should be an option among all the new ways of working, such as :

‍

• the flex office;
• coworking...

‍

Together, these modes of work offer a professional environment that matches the needs of employees, who can then choose the one that best suits their current tasks.

‍

Combined with new work modes such as flex office or coworking, telecommuting has its place in companies. L'hybridization of work is a good compromise for employees, as it offers both face-to-face and remote work. But to ensure the transition between traditional and hybrid work, managers need to be supported to help them change their leadership styles and transform work spaces to adapt to everyone's needs.